The husband of Elizabeth Capaldi, the Sellersville woman who was reported missing in October, has been charged with homicide for allegedly killing Capaldi at their home and disposing of her dismembered remains, authorities said Thursday.
Bucks County prosecutors negotiated a deal with Stephen Capaldi, 57, in exchange for his help in locating his wife's remains to return to her family, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said. Capaldi was taken into custody last Thursday and led police to Hog Island in Tinicum Township, near the Philadelphia airport, where search crews found human remains believed to be his wife.
- MORE NEWS
- Employee allegedly stole $579,000 from now-closed Montgomery County private school
- Two people, dog rescued from missing N.J. sailboat found off Delaware coast
- Philadelphia schools will require students, staff to wear masks for two weeks after winter break
Elizabeth, 55, was last seen on Oct. 10 at the couple's home near the intersection of High and E. Church streets. She was reported missing two days later, prompting police to begin an extensive search in hopes of finding her alive. At the time of her disappearance, personal items including her car, keys and cell phone were still at home, but her purse, some clothing and other belongings were missing.
Stephen Capaldi allegedly strangled and smothered Elizabeth with a pillow in their bedroom on the morning of Oct. 10. The next day, he dismembered her body in the basement, police said. Capaldi then allegedly disposed of some of the remains in a dumpster in Lansdale and buried other remains along the Delaware River shoreline at the Hog Island site where he took police last week, about 40 miles from their home.
The couple had been married for 30 years prior to Capaldi's death. Elizabeth was reported missing by her daughter, who told investigators that her father claimed there had been an argument with Elizabeth in the week leading up to her disappearance, according to testimony contained in a grand jury report. There had never been any prior calls to the couple's home for domestic abuse, Weintraub said.
"They are understanding and accepting of the agreement that we have made in this case," Weintraub said.
Capaldi is charged with third-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and possession of an instrument of crime.
Weintraub said that crews have searched for the rest of Capaldi's remains at sites in Lansdale and Sellersville, but have not recovered anything beyond what they found in Tinicum. Search efforts are expected to continue.
"We owe it to this family to try to recover Beth Capaldi," Weintraub said.